‘People of the Forest’ short animation film tells a tale about the endangered orangutans and other animals in Sabah. — Screengrab courtesy of UOW Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — An animated short film about the endangered orangutans and other animals in Sabah received recognition at Cannes Aviff Art Film Festivals Wonderful World 2023 category recently.
The five-minute short film, titled People of the Forest, was honoured with the Special Jury Award out of 38 affiliated universities around the world that were selected to participate in the festival.
The film was produced by UOW Malaysia’s Communication and Media Studies School in collaboration with Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara) and several secondary schools.
The film screenwriter and co-producer Roselina Khir said what makes People of the Forest notable is the collaboration between talents from various institutions, including UOW Malaysia students, faculty members, school students and Aswara.
“This joint effort brought together diverse perspectives and enriched the project.
“The development process with the actors lasted for over a month, and it was a significant achievement to gather most of the actors from a previous theatre performance six years ago when they were in primary school.”
Film director Nawfal Zamri said directing the animation was a valuable learning experience and helped the team to gain substantial knowledge throughout the process.
“The driving force behind undertaking this project was the story itself, which deeply, reminds me of how easily we forget the narratives behind animal’s life.”
The production team behind the short film consisted of 12 secondary school students as voiceover talents, seven undergraduate students and four faculty members from UOW Malaysia.
Co-producer Murina Pawanteh said working with young talents gave them valuable experiences and skills for their future endeavours.
“Big platforms like Cannes Aviff are very valuable due to their exposure especially when it comes to students’ work.
“We managed to take our students’ work to the international stage and highlighted the issues surrounding the endangered orangutans and other animals in Sabah.”
The Cannes Aviff film festival, which was held in France last month, showcased exceptional works by students, promoting cultural exchange and diverse storytelling.
